Herding Equines
by Seawillow
Summary: Warning: Slash. Explicit material. Mature Audiences. Several sectars after Hand of God, Sheba and Cassie realize their mistake and set about fixing it.


Herding Equines

"You can lead an equinus to water..." Cassiopea said musingly.

Sheba snorted. "But once there he'll just trot amiably by its side, gazing wistfully when he thinks it isn't looking until his dessicated husk falls to the ground," she said, smacking her hand smartly against the table by way of punctuation.

Cassiopea giggled.

Sheba sighed.

The guys were at it again. Starbuck had leaned forward, his hands outlining some point in the air between them avidly. Apollo had leaned back against his chair, a sure sign that he'd finally relaxed, and was listening with an amused twinkle, his eyes lingering on Starbuck's face.

Sheba sighed again.

"Do they think we're blind?" she asked.

Cassiopea smiled at her.

"They think we're satisfied," she said, lifting the long-stemmed glass of vinye she'd appropriated from a passing steward.

"Aren't we?" Sheba asked, her native obstinance rising to the fore.

Cassiopea arched a neat eyebrow at her.

"Are you?" she asked meaningfully.

Sheba's mouth quirked. Damn it all. She'd had hopes for Apollo.

She should have been satisfied, she thought. After infiltrating a Cylon basestar a sectar ago, Apollo had returned and approached Sheba with that grave mien, the one that meant either that they were going into battle against heavy odds and weren't expected to survive or he was about to tackle a personal issue. He'd taken her aside to ask if she had been serious about that kiss, about where she wanted things to go between them. She'd confirmed it gladly. Who wouldn't? Apollo was a damned fine specimen and Sheba had grown genuinely fond of the oh-so-serious Strike Captain, more so after the Celestial Dome.

Sheba had never seen him in quite the mood he'd been in that night. He'd been like a little boy, eager to show off the project he'd been working on in secret for so long. Starbuck had been odd that evening, too, amused and indulgent of Apollo in a way she'd never have thought him capable. Apollo brought that out in Starbuck, she realized now -- a more relaxed, mellow version of the pilot's normal ebullience. Sheba had seen then how Apollo had turned to Starbuck first for confirmation that his surprise was a success. He'd only turned to her when Starbuck's discomfort at being so nearly exposed to the universe had sought out Cassie's soft warmth. However, he _had_ turned to her and Sheba had quickly dismissed the momentary flash of disappointment that had crossed Apollo's angular features as he did.

So, when he approached her with an offer of a more formalized relationship, she'd accepted readily. They got on well together - when their respective egos were held in check, at least, and when Apollo's rather old-fashioned Caprican ideas of womanhood didn't clash with Sheba's much more liberal Gemonese upbringing. She grinned at that thought and wondered briefly about Serina's ethnicity. Apollo rarely mentioned his dead wife, but Sheba understood from talking to the pilots who'd trained with the former reporter that she'd been something of a handful.

Sheba did have to hand it to the man, once Apollo decided on a course of action, he gave himself over to it whole-heartedly. It hadn't taken long for things to move from the occasional night out to the more-than-occasional night in. Her Captain was no blushing virgin; he knew exactly what to do with a woman's body and he did it quite well and with great consideration. He always made sure she was satisfied first - and sometimes second when he could coax it out of her - and she had no complaints about his performance, but...

But that was the thing, wasn't it? It was performance - all technique, no passion. He lovemaking was serious and playful, tender and mischievous, by turns, but Apollo never lost control with her. His hands never shook with desire for her. Once the rush had stilled and the blood had cooled, Sheba found herself wanting more from him. She wasn't certain Apollo knew there was more to be had.

She knew, of course, that there was more to a successful relationship - especially a sealing - than passion, but Sheba was still young enough to want the passion. It was something she'd never had before in a relationship. She wondered if Apollo ever had, either.

Adama was a passionate man, she knew, as passionate as her own father had been. In Adama it was carefully controlled, very civilized, but she'd seen it rise a few times during council meetings or during some of his and Apollo's more intense after-dinner "discussions." She knew Apollo had it in him to be passionate, as well. It was just that Sheba wasn't the one to rouse it in him.

She looked back across the crowded OC. Apollo was still grinning, but it was the softer indulgent grin he only ever had for Boxey -- or Starbuck, obviously, Sheba amended. Starbuck turned with a raised arm to signal the barman and in that moment, as Sheba watched, Apollo's expression shifted ever so slightly. Just for a micron, before Starbuck turned back to him, Apollo's face and thoughts were open and unguarded and the effect was breath-taking.

"Just once, I'd like a man to look at me like that," Sheba complained. "I don't think they've noticed we haven't come back."

It was Cassiopea's turn to snort. "I don't think they've noticed we left!"

"So what do we do about it?" Sheba asked softly.

Cassiopea looked at her warily. "What do you mean?"

Sheba gave both of their oblivious guys an indulgent smile. "Well, I'm disappointed, of course, but we've not really lost them, have we?"

"We'd have to have had them to begin with to lose them," Cassiopea agreed.

"But we are still fond of them," Sheba added.

"Oh, yes," Cassiopea said, her expression turning speculative.

"And we want the very best for them," Sheba continued.

Cassiopea took another drink from her glass and made a generally affirmative noise.

Sheba turned and grinned mischievously at the former socialator. "How would we have handled something like this on Gemon?"

Cassiopea smiled a small conspirator's smile. "I'll make the reservations. You get to corral Apollo."

***********************

"A double date," Apollo said dubiously. "With Starbuck and Cassie?"

"Sure," Sheba said. "It'll be fun, you'll see. Surely you've been on a double date before."

"Yeah, I have," Apollo answered. "Back when I was a poor lowly second louie who couldn't afford a decent place to take a young lady on my own. Now I can."

"Well, you're not paying for this one, Apollo. Cassie and I are. We've pooled our resources and we are going to show you boys a night you will never forget."

"Sheba--"

"The Apex Suite, Apollo."

Okay, that was enough to give even Apollo pause. He'd heard of the Apex Suite -- _heard_ of it, never seen it. He didn't even know anyone who had, at least not personally. He didn't know anyone who could afford the Apex Suite, either. Apollo knew he couldn't, not even half of the Apex Suite, and if he couldn't neither could Sheba, so Cassiopea must have been footing most of the bill for this one. Apollo considered that for a centon and decided he didn't really want to know.

Sheba, however, seemed to have taken up mind-reading in her spare time.

"Cassie has a friend of a friend of a cousin." She waved a hand vaguely. "He gave us a discount. Since it was for a good cause."

"A good cause?" Apollo asked, skeptical.

"Warriors, love, you know," Sheba said. She took his arm and grinned up at him. "Zenoban's a bit of a romantic."

"Wonderful," Apollo said dryly.

Sheba ignored the sarcasm.

"Isn't it?"

Apollo still wasn't sure about this. The truth was, he'd been on double dates more recently than he'd suggested. He'd even been on a few with Starbuck. The problem was, he enjoyed them perhaps a little too much -- and it had nothing to do with whatever lady was nominally with him. He had stopped going out along with Starbuck the night he found himself watching Starbuck a little too closely for his own comfort -- the night he became jealous of Starbuck's date, if he wanted to be honest with himself. He had told himself later that it had been too much ambrosa, too much music, too much something. Whatever it had been, Starbuck must have noticed it, too, because he just as casually stopped suggesting that they take their ladies out together.

That would be his out, Apollo realized with relief. Starbuck wouldn't want to do this any more than he did. There was no way Starbuck would agree to it, so he was safe in agreeing and that would keep Sheba happy.

"Why not? It sounds like fun."

********************

There was no way Apollo was going to agree to this, Starbuck thought confidently. No way, not after the last time.

Starbuck had spent the most miserable secton of his life waiting for the other shoe to fall after that last double date they'd tried, waiting for Apollo to pull him aside and gently but firmly tell him they really should take a break from each other, spend a bit less time together, find other companions, expand the horizons of their acquaintances, and all the other happy euphemisms he could think up for giving a friend who wanted to be a bit too friendly the heave-ho.

Starbuck wasn't sure when he'd gone from an intellectual acknowledgement that Apollo wasn't exactly hard on the eyes to noticing just how his eyes glowed slightly in candlelight, but that night it had all hit him quite suddenly. He'd been happily feeding finger foods to his date -- a vapid creature he couldn't recall with any certainty -- when he'd happened to glance across the table and catch Apollo's gaze. Time had frozen for an instant and it had been all he could do to tear his attention away from his friend and back to his date. He knew Apollo had noticed it, too, and had dreaded the consequences.

Nothing had happened, though, and after a secton Starbuck had stopped holding his breath every time Apollo walked by. They'd never gone out on double dates again, though. Apollo hadn't mentioned doing so again, and Starbuck had been too afraid of upsetting the suddenly delicate balance of their friendship to suggest it. After a while, he'd stopped thinking about it, as well.

It was all going to work out just fine, though, because no way in Hades would Apollo agree to this.

Starbuck grinned and laid an arm around Cassie's slender shoulders.

"The Apex Suite, hmmm? My, my, I wonder what you ladies have in mind?"

Cassie giggled and kissed him.

********************

The room wasn't as bad as he'd expected. The Rising Star was a Leonine ship -- Sire Uri had been a principal share-holder in the company that had run her -- and the decor in the more exclusive areas tended toward what Apollo, with his patrician Caprican tastes, considered unhealthily opulent. The Apex Suite's furnishings, however, were considerably less offensive than he'd been dreading. In fact, the rooms were actually quite tasteful. The furnishings were mostly styles he'd seen on Caprica, although only in some of the better homes to which he'd been invited. Some of the upholstery fabrics and wall-hangings, though, were odd.

"Oh!" Sheba breathed. She reached out to touch one of the hangings. "I remember these! My grandmother had a set of these in the big house at Mount Reate. They were a popular style on Gemon about five hundred yahrens ago. These are reproductions, of course, but they're good ones."

Apollo looked around again. Now that Sheba had pointed it out, he recognized it as well. The exotic parts of the decor were all Gemonese.

"They change the rooms to match the guests," he said.

"Of course, sir," a warm male voice said from behind him. Apollo turned. A tall, thin man with sparse silver hair across the top of his head bowed. "Zenoban, sir. At your service. You are quite correct. The decor is altered to match the tastes or desires of the guests. Otherwise, the experience would not be everything it should."

"Right," Apollo said, staring dubiously at the man.

Zenoban beamed at the two warriors and turned to address Sheba.

"The requested accouterments have been provided. Will your other guests be arriving shortly?"

"They should be here soon," she answered.

"Very well. I shall send word to the chef. Dinner will be served upon their arrival. In the meantime, a steward will be sent with a bottle of chilled ambrosa. I hope it will meet with your approval."

"I'm sure it will be fine," Sheba said with a smile.

"Very well, then." Zenoban bowed again and with another beaming smile and departed.

"'Requested accouterments?'" Apollo asked.

Sheba waved a negligent hand. "That's just Zenoban's way of talking, Apollo. Cassiopea and I just had a few small requests -- little luxuries, bath oils, that sort of thing."

"Uh-huh."

Apollo let the matter drop and wandered off to inspect the rest of the suite of rooms. There were two bedrooms, he found. Oddly, the tastefully blended Caprican and Gemonese decor did not extend into them. The first bedroom he looked into was definitely Caprican in flavor, all cool blues and pale creams with a touch of dark wine red as an accent. Curious, he opened the door to the next bedroom. Sure enough, Gemonese tastes were reflected there. Red and purple scarves draped the four-poster bed in the center of the room and overstuffed pillows were heaped in its center. A hint of antique gold gleamed from the curves of the dark wood.

The staff had intended the bedrooms to match the pairings of lovers, he realized and flushed furiously at the implication. They'd obviously gotten things a little mixed up.

"Speaking of which..." Sheba's voice traveled from another room and Apollo jumped, for an instant afraid he'd been thinking out loud. "I call dibs!"

He looked around, realizing Sheba was not in the room with him. "Where are you?"

"The bathroom!" she called back. She stuck her head around a corner and said impishly, "Unless you want to join me, of course. It seats four, at least."

"What does?" He followed her into the bathing room. The walls were mirrored and draped with light curtains. Candles burned in the sconces.

A huge sunken tub took pride of place in the center of the room. "Kobol! You could swim laps in that thing!"

"Don't exaggerate, Apollo," Sheba said primly. "It's not that big." She giggled. "Quite."

She turned and gave Apollo a sultry look.

"Join me?" she invited, taking his hand and leading him toward the scented water.

A soft feminine throat was cleared in the direction of the door. "Getting an early start?" Cassiopea said brightly and with just a hint of sharpness, Apollo thought.

"Thought I'd get a jump on the crowd," Sheba said sweetly.

He glanced between the two women. The evening was getting surreal and it hadn't even started.

"That's for later," Cassiopea said firmly. She took Apollo's arm companionably and led him back into the main room. "Come protect your interests, Apollo. Starbuck's found the ambrosa."

They wandered back into the main sitting room.

******************

Starbuck glanced around the room. He couldn't believe Apollo had agreed to this. He couldn't believe he hadn't found a way out of this. He looked up as Apollo walked into the room with a slightly bewildered expression on his face. It was an oddly appealing look on him, Starbuck reflected. Then again, just about any look was appealing on Apollo. He knocked back the ambrosa in his hand in an attempt to banish the unwelcome thought.

"Cassie wasn't kidding," Apollo said cryptically as he took a glass and poured for himself. "You okay, Starbuck? You're hitting that a little hard."

"Me? I'm fine. Never better," Starbuck said brightly. He poured himself another drink. "Just getting into the spirit of the evening."

"Too much more spirit and your evening's going to end early," Apollo reproved mildly. He glanced around again. "So what do you ladies have in mind?"

"Hmmm?" Cassie answered as she dimmed the lights. Music began to play softly.

The door chimed and Sheba moved to answer it. A steward rolled in a tray laden with serving dishes and set about quickly and efficiently setting the small dining table with china and platters. He lit the candles on the table, bowed slightly and left, not waiting for a tip.

Sheba lifted a lid from one of the platters. It was real food. There wasn't a mushie or protein square in sight, fresh or otherwise. Apollo found himself drawn to the table. He picked up a small half-moon of something creamy in a flaky crust and bit into it. Damn, it was good. Someone moved up next to him and he turned to offer the other half of the pastry, expecting Sheba, and found Starbuck instead.

"Uh, thanks," Starbuck said, startled, as he took the proffered bite and Apollo felt his face burn for the second time that evening.

A soft giggle caught his attention and Apollo looked away in time to catch the glances passing between Sheba and Cassiopea.

"Alright, what's going on?" he asked.

"A-_pol-_lo," Sheba chided. "Dinner. Dinner is what is going on."

"I mean besides dinner," Apollo returned.

Cassiopea sighed. "I told you it wouldn't work," she said, shaking her head sadly.

"What wouldn't work?" Starbuck asked warily.

Cassiopea smiled up at him and leaned into his side fetchingly. "Oh, just a little Gemonese custom."

"Gemonese custom?" It was Apollo's turn to sound wary.

"That's right," Sheba said. "For couples who are close friends with another couple."

"To celebrate the bonds of love and friendship," Cassiopea finished. "It's a ritual bath."

Apollo froze. Starbuck, who'd been taking advantage of Apollo's distraction to fish out his favorites from the pastry tray, aspirated a bit of flaky crust. Apollo automatically relieved him of it with a forceful whack between the shoulder blades.

"A bathing ritual?" Starbuck choked out. "All four of us? We'd never fit!"

"You haven't seen the tub," Apollo said gravely.

"You have?! When? You didn't say anything about a tub," Starbuck accused.

"Just before you got here, and I haven't had a chance," Apollo defended himself and shook his head sharply. This wasn't going to be like the communal turbowashes on the Galactica; those were all business: get in, get clean, get out. Just the thought of getting into an actual bath tub with Starbuck -- not just any tub, either, but _that_ tub, with its warm, scented water and music and candlelight. There was no way he could do it; he wouldn't be able to answer for the consequences, and those consequences could be severe. Starbuck's friendship wasn't a price he wanted to pay for pleasing Sheba. Although for that matter, he suspected Sheba wouldn't be all that pleased by the outcome of Apollo's getting into that bath tub with Starbuck, either. "That's not important, right now, though. Sheba, I hate to disappoint you--"

Sheba laid a quelling hand on Apollo's chest.

"I knew you wouldn't want to do it in the traditional Gemonese style, Apollo. That's why I had Zenoban tuck away a couple of bathing suits for the two of you, just in case you wanted them."

"Oh, we want them," Starbuck interjected. He realized that what he'd said sounded suspiciously like capitulation when Apollo shot him a panicked look. The thought of getting naked with Starbuck freaked Apollo out that much? Jeez! "I mean, we would want them... If we were going to... you know," he finished uncertainly and looked back to Apollo for confirmation.

Apollo considered what Starbuck had said and nodded. "Right, if we were going to..." He waved a hand vaguely toward the short hall to the bathroom.

Sheba tossed her long hair and laid her head against his shoulder.

"Oh, come on, Apollo," she crooned in the same tone she used to get him to try some odd delicacy she'd concocted when all he wanted was something nice and simple. It was the tone that said he was being a stick-in-the-mud again and would he please just try to be a bit more adventurous? It was a tone he'd gotten used to caving to over the past few sectars, and he had a sinking feeling that said he'd probably cave this time, too.

He picked up a handy glass of ambrosa and drank deeply. The liquor burned a bit on its way down and made his head swim for a micron.

"Bathing suits, huh?" Apollo felt a traitorous tightening in his groin at the thought of Starbuck in one of those suits. His newly blood-deprived brain added the image of that tub and the image of a bathing-suit-clad Starbuck and the total it came up with sent even more blood hurtling south. He shifted uncomfortably, hoping like Hades that Starbuck either wouldn't notice or would think it was Sheba's presence causing the bulge he knew was visible under his uniform.

Starbuck hadn't noticed Apollo's discomfort. Starbuck was having image and blood-related problems of his own. Having had a bit more experience in such matters than Apollo, due to a couple of youthful forays into the more pleasurable aspects of communal living, his images were of a somewhat more graphic nature, though bathing suits and water did feature heavily. He glanced up again and caught Apollo looking at him and something in his friend's face gave him pause. Apollo's cheeks were flushed with embarrassment, but his eyes -- his eyes were nearly black, the pupils dilated so far Starbuck could only see a sliver of green around the edges. Apollo might be embarrassed, but he was also turned on and on a visceral level Starbuck knew - _knew_ - it had nothing to do with the pretty lady hanging on the Strike Captain's arm.

Some demon took hold of Starbuck's tongue at that moment. It was the only explanation. There was no other possible explanation for the words he heard coming out of his mouth, in his own insouciant tones and with just a hint of challenge that he knew Apollo wouldn't be able to ignore.

"Well, never let it be said that I'm not game."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a fumerello, casually jamming it between his teeth to keep anything else from leaping out unbidden. The feeling of the fumerello on his tongue brought on an entirely new set of images and he found himself staring at Apollo's mouth. He tore his gaze away when Cassie reached up and took the fumerello away and rewarded him with a small kiss. She pulled gently on his hand, a fond smile on her face, as she led him toward the hall between the two bed chambers.

Apollo gave it one last try. "Sheba--"

She laid a finger on his lips and then gently brushed a hand across his forehead, smoothing out the wayward strands. She smiled at him and laid a soft kiss on his cheek.

"Hush, lover. It'll be alright, you'll see. I promise."

He pulled her to him and kissed her, trying to lose himself in her, but couldn't, no more than he'd ever been able. Starbuck was just in the next room. He could feel the other man's presence like the pull of gravity.

Game, Starbuck had said. Apollo didn't know what kind of game Starbuck was playing with him but he didn't like it. Starbuck had to have seen what Apollo was feeling. Apollo had never been good at hiding his emotions and well he knew it.

Sheba began to walk, drawing Apollo along with her.

Starbuck and Cassiopea were already changed and in the tub by the time Apollo and Sheba got there. The water was churning gently and the sweetly spicy scent of the oil was rising into the air. Starbuck had draped himself over one of the submerged benches and was laying back, eyes closed, enjoying the heated water.

Sheba led Apollo over to a small curtained-off alcove and left him to change into the Gemonese-style swimming trunks that lay folded on the small bench. At least they were loose enough to provide some cover, although his erection had thankfully gone down. He wasn't sure he'd have been able to walk back out there with his cock tenting the thin material of the trunks.

Sheba looked up as Apollo came back out and smiled as she let the loose dress she'd chosen for the evening fall and stepped unself-consciously into the warm water. As she lowered herself onto the seat, her soft brown hair fanned out around her in the water, and for a micron Apollo envied her body-confidence. His own body was firmly in the utilitarian class, in his opinion. It served his purposes well, but on those few occasions when he thought about it he was painfully aware that he lacked Starbuck's grace of movement or Boomer's chiseled musculature. It had bothered him as a younger man until he'd finally out-grown his adolescent self-consciousness.

That self-consciousness was threatening to make a come-back here and now.

Sheba beckoned to him.

"Come on in, Apollo."

Starbuck opened his eyes and gave Apollo a lazy grin. Apollo's eyes slipped down the other man's body.

"You forgot something, Starbuck," he pointed out.

Starbuck grinned up at him. "You know what they say, Pol. When on Gemon..."

"We're not on Gemon."

His current nemesis chuckled. "Buddy, with these two ladies in charge, we might as well be."

Apollo shook his head and stepped into the water. Then he remembered something about Gemonese swimming trunks that he'd forgotten. They clung when wet. The fabric was nearly transparent now that he was in the water and he sighed, realizing why Starbuck had chosen to forgo the formality.

Cassiopea waded over to Apollo, smiling warmly.

"I'm so glad you came, Apollo," she said softly and kissed him gently but firmly on the lips. He returned the gentle pressure a little awkwardly.

Sheba approached him as he turned away from Cassiopea. She leaned forward and kissed him as well, then leaned her forehead against his. "I'm glad you came."

To one side, Apollo could hear Cassiopea delivering the same greeting to Starbuck, who answered her with an insolent, "I'm sort of glad myself."

Sheba smiled and kissed Apollo on the forehead before moving over to Starbuck. "I'm glad you came, too, Hot Shot," she said. It still seemed to catch Starbuck by surprise when she kissed him and he gave Apollo a startled glance. Sheba grinned at him before moving to face Cassiopea.

"I'm glad you came, Sheba," Cassiopea whispered and the two women moved into each other's arms, heads tilting for a kiss. They broke apart and Cassiopea moved back in a second time, sucking gently on Sheba's lower lip.

Apollo looked at Starbuck and shifted uncomfortably, sensing the direction this was heading. Starbuck leaned over as Cassiopea moved closer to him and whispered into her ear, too low for Apollo to hear. Cassiopea murmured something back and Starbuck looked up and met Apollo's eyes. The breath caught in Apollo's chest as his friend moved closer. He reached up as Starbuck came nearer, catching his upper arms in warning.

"Starbuck --" he gasped out.

Starbuck's lips closed over his, moving sensuously. Apollo had already been half-hard again and his cock bobbed and brushed against the other man's thigh as Starbuck leaned in to deepen the kiss. Starbuck drew back as Apollo gasped for air and looked into his eyes. Starbuck pulled him closer and whispered against his lips, "I'm glad you came, Pol."

Apollo gasped again when Starbuck's cock brushed against his own in the warm water. Starbuck took advantage of the opening and his tongue slid across Apollo's in a sinuous glide. His hands slipped up to cradle Apollo's head as they kissed.

Sheba waded up close to Apollo and planted a kiss between his shoulder blades. She trailed her hands slowly along his back and sides, enjoying the play of lean muscle as Apollo's body began to move in response to his arousal. Her hands slid down to the fastenings of the swimming trunks and she skirted past them, slipping her fingers under the waistband to massage his hardened cock gently. His hips rocked and he pulled his mouth away from Starbuck's as he half-turned away.

"Sheba--"

A universe of guilt colored that single utterance and Sheba moved in quickly and raised herself to kiss Apollo gently.

"Hush, lover," she soothed. "It's all okay. I told you."

Apollo stared into her eyes for a micron, not knowing which way to move. He lowered his head to kiss her again when something Starbuck was doing sent a thrill straight through his nerves and into his balls and he heard himself moan into Sheba's kiss.

Starbuck was reeling. He was in free-fall and he never wanted to pull out of it. He'd almost bolted from the water when he'd realized just what Cassiopea and Sheba had in mind for the two of them. He'd hoped after seeing Apollo's reaction in the other room, but until his friend had spoken his name, had looked at him with that same fear of loss that Starbuck had felt for so long, he had been terrified that Apollo would simply end the game once and for all. Now, he was absolutely sure Apollo wouldn't.

When Apollo pulled away to kiss Sheba, Starbuck simply allowed his lips to follow a trail he'd mapped out countless times in the privacy of his own fantasies, along Apollo's chin and the curve of his jaw to the delicate skin of his throat. There was a spot in the hollow of his jaw that made Apollo whimper and Starbuck returned to it just to hear that sound again. He was vaguely conscious of Cassie's small, strong hands on his back and sliding around to tweak his nipples. He rocked between the warm bodies, soft and feminine, hard and masculine, as Cassiopea began to guide them all back to the submerged benches that lined the inner wall of the tub.

"Oh, Lords," he whispered and sank onto the bench at Cassiopea's silent urging.

Apollo sat next to him and leaned over, watching Starbuck with hooded eyes. Starbuck's attention was caught by the sight of Apollo's lips, slightly swollen and reddened from his kisses and he reached up with one hand to pull Apollo down for another kiss as Cassiopea dipped her head between the two men to nip gently at Starbuck's raised nipple. Another set of small hands cradled Starbuck's balls and squeezed gently and his back arched.

Apollo pulled back again for a micron. Cassiopea's blond curls tickled against his neck as she worked Starbuck's chest. Sheba's hands were back on his hips, teasing the edges of his waistband and then, with a quick movement, releasing the fastenings. The thin fabric slid away, fully freeing Apollo's cock. Sheba took his hand and raised it from the water to kiss his palm while Apollo stared, transfixed, then she lowered it again, guiding it through the water to close around Starbuck's throbbing cock. Starbuck made an inarticulate sound and Cassiopea slid out of the way as Apollo closed his mouth over Starbuck's again, swallowing his moans. He was dimly aware of both women moving away and leaving him and Starbuck -- at last -- together.

******************

"Traditional Gemonese bathing ritual?"

Cassiopea giggled at the scathing tone of Sheba's whisper.

"It worked, didn't it?" she asked smugly.

It certainly had.

"Zenoban remembered the lube for the boys' room, right?" Sheba asked in a whisper.

"He did," Cassiopea confirmed. "I checked earlier."

Sheba leaned back against Cassiopea and watched as Starbuck threw his head back and came into Apollo's hand. Cassiopea's hand drew a delicate pattern over Sheba's breasts and abdomen before dipping down to caress her clit. Sheba smiled and rocked her hips to rub against the massaging fingers. It was nothing serious, just a bit of play for the moment, but it felt good and she leaned back to capture Cassiopea's lips with her own as Apollo gave a cry of his own from across the water. She looked back up as Apollo raised shaking hands to caress the side of Starbuck's face before pulling him in for another long, deep kiss, and she felt a momentary stab of loss that Apollo's passion wasn't -- wouldn't ever be -- for her.

Cassiopea seemed to sense her mood, or maybe she was feeling a stab of her own, because she urged Sheba around until she was straddling Cassiopea's hips and the play became serious.


End file.
